Growing up in Hong Kong, it was very common to find this French toast sandwich in Cha Chan Tang (茶餐廳), a local all-day casual dining restaurant, and it was absolutely one of my favorites!
I mean, sweet bread with peanut butter and syrup? Who doesn’t like that?
In this recipe, I chose to use the heels of a bread loaf instead of the slices in the middle section. One of the motivations for me making this recipe was because I am trying to minimize food waste at home. I want to create recipes for the things that most people don’t think twice about throwing in the bin. But I figure, if it can be made into something tasty and it’s not spoiled, why not make use of it?
The heels of a bread loaf are about 80% crust, which gives the toast in this recipe more texture. Plus, the heel doesn’t absorb as much liquid from the batter compared to regular bread slices. Overall, the result has a nice crunch and is less soggy, which is what I was hoping for.
It is common to deep fry French toast, but I used a shallow frying pan for this recipe. I used runny honey as a topping, but I think it would taste good with date, agave, or maple syrup.
Makes 2 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 4 end/heel pieces of bread
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup full-fat milk
- 1 tbsp caster sugar (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp natural crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter for frying
Recipe Preparation
Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until dissolved and mixture is light and airy. Add vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Add milk and mix well. Transfer batter into a shallow dish that’s big enough to fit one sandwich.
Spread a tablespoon of peanut butter on each slice of bread and lightly press two slices together to make a sandwich.
Heat butter in a shallow frying pan on medium-high heat.
Dunk one sandwich into the shallow dish full of batter and hold it down for about 20 seconds, using light pressure so that the sandwich can absorb the batter thoroughly. Repeat for other side.
Place soaked sandwich into the pan and use a flat spatula to lightly press it down to make sure that the surface is in contact with the pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and repeat on other side. Set aside and repeat for second sandwich.
Serve warm with honey or agave or maple syrup.
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